Process for the superficial matallization of silicious articles.



UNITED STAT S PATENT oFFIoE.

PASCAL MARINO, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

PROCESS FOR THE SUPERFICIAL METALLIZATIONOF SILICIOUS ARTICLES.

1% Drawing.

To all whom it may concern: 1

Be it known. that I, PASCAL MARINO, a subject of the King of Italy, and resident of 41 Wellington street, Regents Park, London, 'N. VV., England, professor of chemistry, have invented a Process for the Superficial Metallization of Silicious Articles, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to a process whereby articles made of china, glass, crystal, porcelain or other silicious material may be superficially coated with metal with the view more particularly of enabling them to receive an electrolytic deposit of silver, gold, platinum, nickel, copper, tin, zinc or other metal, or of a metallic alloy such as brass, bronze, etc.

Inasmuch as an article made of the material referred to is not a conductor of electricity, a metal or metallic alloy cannot, unless special provision is made to do so, be electrolytically deposited upon its surface, and hence it is absolutely necessary that the surface of the article should be coated with a conductive covering to act as the negative electrode in an electrolytic bath containing the metal or metallic alloy with which the article is to be coated.

The process of my invention is characterized by the fact that the article is submitted to a first operation which consists in coating it with silver fluorid and then exposing it to the action of a stream of illuminating coal gas, and subsequently submitted to a second operation which consists in heating the article to about 50 C. and exposing it to a stream of carbon sulfid vapor, these operations being carried out for the purpose of bringing about chemical reactions whereby the surface of a porcelain, glass or earthen- Ware article becomes metallized and thus rendered capable of conducting an electric current.

It is necessary that the surface of the ar ticle to be treated should be rugous and absorbent and free from enamel, varnish or gloss which would prevent the surface from absorbing the silver fluorid solution, the application of which to the article to be treated constitutes the first step of the process.

The first operation results in the formation of a thin firmly adherent and continuous coating or pellicle containing minute particles of silver, upon the article being treated, the molecules of silver penetrating into the article, Wholly covering the portion Specification of Letters Patent,

Patented Oct. 15,1912.

Application filed July 25, 1911. Serial No. 640,508.

washed in water without detriment to the deposit. 1

By means of this treatment an article which is to be coated by electrolysis (and which forms the cathode in the bath) is in such a condition that the electrolytically deposited layer of metal or metallic alloy is strongly adherent and capable of resisting the action of high temperatures. The composition of the electrolyte would of course depend upon the particular metal or metallic alloy to be deposited.

As will be seen, my invention not only permits of glass, porcelain and other silicious articles being easily coated with an electrolytic deposit of metal, but furthermore enables articles so coated to be soldered or joined to one another or to any metallic article. A metal foot, handle, or ring may be soldered to a cup, saucer, plate, vase or any other utensil which has been coated with an electrolytic metallic deposit.

Claims:

1. The herein described process of superficially metallizing the surface of a silicious article which consists in coating the surface of the article with a silver fluoric salt in solution and submitting it to the action of a stream' of illuminating coal gas, and subsequently heating the article to about 50 (1, and submitting it to the action of a stream of carbon sulfid vapor and finally submitting the deposit to friction substantially as specified.

2. A process of depositing a metal or metallic alloy upon an article made of silicious material which consists in first coating the surface of the article with a silver fiuoric salt in solution and submitting it to the action of a stream of illuminating coal gas, then heating the article to about 50 C., then submitting it to the action of a stream of carbon sulfid vapor, then submitting the deee wee I 3, The herein described process of depositing a metal or metallic alloy upon an article made of siliciousmaterial, which consists in coating the surface of the article with a silver fiuoric salt in solution and submitting it to the action of a stream of illuminating coal gas, then heating the article and sub- 10 mitting'it to the actionof a stream of cal bon sulfid vapor and finally depositing the metal or metallic alloy upon the article by electrolysis.

PASCAL 'MARINQ Witnesses C Lmnon, Ev F o WILLIAMS 

